ITPalooza Survey of Local Companies and IT Professionals Shows Continued Market Turnaround and Higher Salaries

MIAMI and DAVIE, Fla., Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A survey of over 500 IT professionals and local companies conducted by SherlockTech Staffing shows a continued turnaround in South Florida IT hiring and salaries.  The study was done in conjunction with the upcoming ITPalooza event being held at NSU's Graduate School of Information Sciences on 12/12/13.

Of the responding local companies, 61 percent of them indicated that they plan to hire additional IT staff in 2014.  This compares to 57 percent in 2013.  On average, starting salaries increased 10-18 percent for the hotter skillsets.  The positions that are most in demand include enterprise-level mobile application developers ($105-$150,000), cloud infrastructure engineers ($100-$105,000) and IT security analysts ($80-$150,000.)

"There is a new paradigm emerging in the information technology arena," said Alex Funkhouser, CEO of Miami Beach based IT recruiting firm SherlockTech Staffing.  "It used to be the IT department in the driver's seat; now, it is sales and marketing calling the shots as IT supports brand building and business development."

As part and parcel to this new trend, advanced analytics tools are helping companies do a better job of new product development, advertising and promotions.  "These days, there is nowhere to hide with just about everything being measured on a real-time bases," added Funkhouser.

The survey's results also showed a change in attitude from local IT professionals.  Sixty-nine  percent said they were open to new opportunities as compared to 67 percent last year and 16 percent in 2011.  Funkhouser has seen turnover rates increasing significantly compared to 20 percent during the height of the recession.

Those wishing to attend ITPalooza can visit www.ITPalooza.org.  The all-day event, co-sponsored by the Nova Southeastern University's Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences, features numerous breakout sessions offering technical training, a keynote from TW Telecom on the future of the internet, a Job Opportunity Room with local companies recruiting IT professionals, Web Programming Challenges, the South Florida Technology Alliance Networking Hour and the ITPalooza House Band led by Lenny Chesal of Host.net. The cost is free if you bring unwrapped toys for donation to underprivileged kids through the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation or make a donation of $25.00.  Proceeds from last year's event exceeded $30,000.  This year donations will benefit the Miami-Dade Public Schools STEM Programs, NSU's Graduate School of Information Sciences (GSCIS) and its dedication to the preservation and celebration of computing history.

Companies and speakers participating in ITPalooza and the Job Opportunity Room come from:  NSU's GSCIS, SherlockTech Staffing, TW Telecom, Microsoft, RSA, EMC, AAJ Technologies, TigerDirect, Websense, CheckPoint, Host.net, Xamarin, DataCore, McAfee, Pyramid Analytics, Elevate Consult, Infragistics, NSU, Mission Critical Systems, SanDisk, Resources Global Professionals, New Horizons, and others.

About SherlockTech Staffing:

Miami Beach, Florida-based SherlockTech Staffing is a premier staffing and consulting source for technical talent in Florida and beyond. The company provides recruiting and consulting services to both Fortune 1000 companies and to job candidates in a wide range of technology areas.  The primary focus is recruiting application developers, network engineers and database administrators.  The company prides itself on the long term relationships established with both employers and IT talent to ensure placement of the best quality candidates in the top quality jobs. For more information, please visit www.SherlockTech.com.

About NSU's Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences (GSCIS):

The GSCIS provides educational programs of distinction to prepare students for leadership roles in the computer and information sciences field. With internationally recognized faculty, innovative curriculum, and flexible online and campus-based formats for its six Master of Science, four Ph.D. and three certificate programs – the GSCIS's graduates are sought after around the world. Designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, their information assurance curriculum is recognized by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu/scis.   

About the South Florida Technology Alliance

The SFTA promotes the growth, success and awareness of the South Florida technology community. Its member roster includes South Florida's leading high-tech, high-growth companies. Through events, networking, programs and education, the SFTA provides south Florida's technology-related companies, academic institutions, and entrepreneurs with an active forum to grow the business of technology. For more information visit www.SouthFloridaTech.org.

SOURCE South Florida Technology Alliance